The Great Franchisee: Patrick Crise, Wireless Zone, Ohio

Patrick Crise has built a decorated career in telecommunications, working with Sprint/Nextel, AT&T and Spectrum. So when Crise decided to strike out on his own as a business owner, it didn’t take him long to decide Wireless Zone, the nation’s largest wireless retail franchisor, was the right fit.

Last year, Crise purchased eight Wireless Zone locations throughout the Dayton and Cleveland markets. But that’s just the beginning. Crise says he plans to double or even triple his portfolio over the next three years. We spoke to Crise to learn more about his journey to franchising and his experience with Wireless Zone.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Patrick Crise: I’ve been in the telecommunications industry for my entire professional career.  I started working at Sprint/Nextel and eventually transitioned to AT&T and worked there for a while. Most recently, I was employed by Spectrum. Throughout my career, I’ve accumulated a lot of industry knowledge and experience to take to my new role at Wireless Zone. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising? 

Crise: I’ve been familiar with franchising throughout my career. Since I’ve been in the telecommunications industry, I knew about the indirect and direct model of business. I have a friend who I previously worked with at Sprint who currently works for TCC, the largest T-Mobile retailer in the nation. He reached out and asked me what I’ve been up to; we’ve kept in touch throughout the rest of our professional careers. We started talking about opportunities with Wireless Zone and the rest is history. 

1851: Why did you choose franchising over starting your own business?

Crise: I’ve considered starting my own business numerous times. Franchising allows a larger web of support than starting your own business. With the telecommunications industry, it’s hard to break into the industry without a franchisor. I knew my options were limited, but I’m very pleased with the Wireless Zone franchise.

1851: What types of brands did you look at?

Crise: Wireless Zone was the only franchisor we considered. Verizon is the Mercedes Benz of telecommunications space, so having a brand like that backing me was huge.

1851: Why did you choose Wireless Zone? What excited you most about the potential?

Crise: Aside from the support that the corporate team provides, Wireless Zone has a people-first culture and is always acting in the best interest of the customer. It’s hard to find a franchisor that recognizes and practices that. Wireless Zone has the perfect blend of being sales and customer-centric.

1851: How has business been since you took over?

Crise: Starting in December, I was very opportunistic since it’s the busiest month for retail. COVID-19 has definitely brought its challenges, but nothing we weren’t able to overcome. I feel that I’ve laid the groundwork to have a successful 2021. Traffic has been stable, and we look forward to increasing that throughout the year.

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Cries: I definitely want to expand with the Wireless Zone brand. In the next three years, I hope to double, if not triple, my number of units. 

1851: What value do you see your business providing to Cleveland/Dayton?

Crise: We’re providing the markets with their tech needs during a time when that’s our main source of connectivity with friends, family, colleagues and more. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Crise: Be sure the culture is one you can see yourself with long term. If you love what you do, it makes everything even better. Find something you’re passionate about and be sure you have a solid partner.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Cries: In my downtime, I love spending time with my fiancé and son. We enjoy traveling and hope to resume traveling again once things are back to normal.  

ABOUT WIRELESS ZONE

Founded in 1988 as "The Car Phone Store", the Wireless Zone® system has become the nation's largest wireless retail franchisor, was ranked the No. 1 franchise in its category by Entrepreneur magazine and #118 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 in 2021. Each of the over 400 stores are independently owned and operated, exclusively offering Verizon Wireless products and services. The Wireless Zone® system has been honored with Verizon's “Best Customer Service” award for five consecutive years and is franchised and operated by Wireless Zone LLC. For more information, visit www.wirelesszone.com.